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Jan Stel [1970, Purmerend, the Netherlands] is a self-taught Fine Art Photographer and Photoshop artist. Always a creative person, Jan was a pioneering artist in his youth, spraying graffiti murals in the suburbs of Amsterdam and, at to home, painting detailed drawings and realistic illustrations. A gift of analo… Read More

Jan Stel [1970, Purmerend, the Netherlands] is a self-taught Fine Art Photographer and Photoshop artist. Always a creative person, Jan was a pioneering artist in his youth, spraying graffiti murals in the suburbs of Amsterdam and, at to home, painting detailed drawings and realistic illustrations. A gift of analogue photo gear from his father prompted his interest in photography, and inspired him to develop his own creative style. Jan Stel’s photography is made in pure natural light; no flashlights or studio lamps are used. This authentic process of working takes time, sensitivity and the right timing for action. Jan explains his photographic style in this way:

“The human eye is far more sensitive than a camera lens and picks up minor as well as major differences in a scene. Because the photo camera is limited in its ability, I capture the image in multiple exposures. The scene my eye has seen and that which the camera is unable to pick up is what fascinate me. I want to reassert this sensitivity. I do this by brushing the photographed brackets into a sort of light painting, similar to what the dark room masters and painters of old used to do”.

ABANDONED & FORGOTTEN:
It was around 1998 that the fascination for “Abandoned & Forgotten” started. For more than 10 years, Jan Stel has been committed to capturing the remains of our past glory. He continues to be astounded by the structures and places left abandoned by humans. In these abandoned buildings, old craft businesses, antiquated machinery, rusty tools and equipment appear to have been quite abruptly turned off and just left. Private houses filled with personalbelongings, outdated transportation vehicles and even fully decorated castles lie forgotten. He found around 100 classic cars rusting away in dense woodland. They had been left behind by American soldiers after the Second World War. Then there’s the thirty-year-old, unused, subway system with carriages that still have working on/off light switches for going from station to station! Places that once hummed with life and movement stand silent and devoid of human presence. One of Jan’s motivations for seeking out the abandoned and forgotten is: “Most of the general public only see decay, vandalism and ruins; I look much deeper. Silenced by men, our man-built world is now being reclaimed by the quiet power of Mother Nature; it seems a desolate and soulless place but it is still full of history and life”. These fascinating places will cease to exist soon and the memories they hold will fade away. Jan is sensitively capturing these characteristic places before they are eventually lost to time. He hopes that someday extensive restoration or conversion into museums will be undertaken to ensure protection of this heritage for the future.

FINE ART PRINTING:
High-quality limited artworks are professional printed and available as archival pigment prints. Each print is signed, numbered and accompanied with a signed Certificate of Authenticity. Fine art prints are made at Souverein [Weesp, The Netherlands, www.souverein.nl]. The team stand out in taking care of the highest print quality, perfection in details, accurate colour reproduction, and a passionate look for max result with quality preservation. Oversees ordered art prints are safely packed and sealed. And will be send in a protective cylinder. Read Less